Work Text:
Qrow was first blessed with the magnificent view that was Clover Ebi in spring.
The Black Feather Cafe was doing great, nearing its two-year mark, something Qrow was proud of, and Raven even more so, even if she’d never admit it.
Working in the cafe had been good for the both of them in more ways than financial. It gave Raven something to show off, something to share with her brother and her daughter, and another root that kept her from staying away longer than was healthy for her.
The Black Feather gave Qrow non-alcoholic beverage options after rehab, something to focus on while he had to be in therapy. More prominent was how running the cafe gave him a little bit more confidence, since he had to learn how to deal with people daily.
So, Qrow was already in a good place that spring, but the universe decided that wasn’t perfect enough, and made a hot man walk into his shop wearing a dark green vest over a tight-fitting black tank underneath.
“You’re drooling,” Yang, who just started working part time, had kindly informed him.
Qrow snapped his mouth shut as the physically perfect stranger approached the counter.
“Good morning, sir,” he greeted. The customer seemed to register Qrow's appearance, and the lazy smile spread up to gorgeous teal eyes.
“Good morning, Qrow,” the man replied, eyeing the nametag. Qrow swallowed. “It’s my first time here, do you have any recommendations?”
Okay. Work stuff. Qrow can do that. “Well, if you don’t particularly prefer coffee, our smoothies have gotten great feedback. Avocados are in season, and our omelets pair well with that…”
“Alright, I’ll trust you on that. Spinach and tomatoes for the omelet, please.” Qrow nodded, repeating the order to Yang.
“What’s your name?” Qrow asked. “For the order.”
He caught a glimpse of perfect white teeth. “Clover.”
After the transaction, Clover had gone to sit down at a booth. Qrow stopped Yang from calling out the name.
“I’ll just serve it to him.”
“Uh-huh.”
“There aren’t many customers right now, anyway!” He grabbed the tray and left his unimpressed niece.
By summer, Clover had become a regular in the cafe. And thank the Lord for that, because with the heat came thinner and thinner vests.
Qrow could trust the man to come at least thrice a week, since he worked in the nearby hospital as a doctor. He wondered if Clover would look better in this sweaty, near-naked state or all serious in a white coat and those glasses the other man sometimes wore in the cafe.
He’d love to meet Dr. Ebi.
“Good crowd,” Clover said as he fetched his iced coffee from the counter.
Qrow smiled. “Lots of people are coming in to escape the heat.”
“Ugh, I wish more people did that. Not only will it support your business, but it’ll mean less heat stroke patients for me, too.”
“I don’t think those two benefits are equal, doctor,” Qrow laughed.
Clover’s expression shifted into something warm. “I disagree. You’ve set up a great place here.”
“Uh thanks, but… My sister took care of most of the technicalities.”
“Qrow…” Clover leaned over the counter with his strong forearms. “Please let me compliment you.”
Teal eyes were filled with heat. God, if the cafe was already the sanctuary from that, then Qrow had no hope of escape.
Screw it. He leaned in, watching Clover close his eyes in response…
Only to be interrupted by Yang clearing her throat. Qrow jumped back and his face burned for an entirely unsexy reason.
Clover, on the other hand, was calmer in his retreat. “Duty calls.”
Something that sounded like a squeak left Qrow’s throat, and he went to help Yang.
“This means I can write a complaint to Mom about my manager being unprofessional, right?”
Qrow ignored her. The napkins that came with Clover’s drink were left on the counter top, and he cleared them off.
“Or better yet, please tell me we’re allowed to do that, and I’ll invite my girlfriend here more often.”
Fall came with nothing else happening between Qrow and Clover. It was… disappointing to say the least.
Qrow had waited day after day with increasing dejection as the other man made no acknowledgment of what almost happened and what could still happen. If anything, Clover seemed to distance himself a little, and didn’t give Qrow those looks anymore. It’s as if that almost-kiss didn’t occur at all.
At least he still had the view, or so Qrow tried to console himself. Despite the increasingly frigid air outside, the doctor still went without sleeves. To be fair, his vests were hooded and thick cotton now, yet his muscled arms were still flexing for all to see.
“Aren’t you going to get sick like that, doctor?” Qrow teased, pointing at the exposed skin.
Clover’s grins were always a joy to see. “In this weather? The cold is way worse where I came from. Don’t worry, Qrow,” he said gently. “I’m pretty strong.”
Qrow allowed his eyes to run down the thick arms and back up again. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Abruptly, Clover made his excuses to leave, and Qrow watched him go, smile dropping into a pout.
The view was nice, but he wanted more than the view now.
Fall went by quickly and slowly at the same time. Ruby came over to try to poke him to life. Yang got steadily more annoyed at his slump. Raven took one look at him and assured the kids that it wasn’t a relapse, just their uncle being a lovesick fool.
That sounded about right.
Qrow realized on the last day of fall that Clover never ordered a pumpkin spice latte, and he knew he was in love.
“I hate winter,” Qrow moaned as he switched the sign at their entrance from Open to Closed.
Raven snorted from the table where she was painting her nails. “The dark and depressed human hates the dark and depressed weather. Who knew?”
“Why don’t you ever help clean up?” Qrow snapped at his sister.
“Are you blind? I’m doing my nails.”
“I’ll make you blind,” he replied, more sullen than angry. “Then I’ll manipulate the numbers so that I get more money.”
“Darling, that’s why I don’t do manual labour. You’d be a horrible accountant.”
“I know why he’s extra grumpy,” Yang called from where she was mopping the floor. “It’s because Clover came by today, and actually wore sleeves.”
Raven made a mock gasp. “Will wonders never cease?”
“I’m going to fire you,” Qrow told his niece.
“Mom’s just going to hire me back.”
“Then I’m going to fire her, too.”
His sister stood up with a sigh. “As riveting as this conversation is, I have to go,” she announced, taking her bag and fluffing her hair. “I’m taking Vernal to dinner tonight.”
“It’s ten in the evening,” Qrow said.
Raven looked at him with pity. “A late dinner at her place, so that the dessert is easily accessible,” she spelled out, then turned to her daughter. “Bye, darling. I’ll be out of town for business tomorrow until next week. Remind your father that he owes me money in the meantime.”
“Only if you actually remember to call while you’re gone this time,” Yang grumbled, though she pecked her mom on the cheek.
Qrow watched his twin sister show tenderness to the only person she allowed herself to. “I will, darling, I’m sorry about last time.”
Yang hugged her mom. “Tell Vernal that she promised to help Weiss write the diss track about Mr. Schnee!”
“I try to forget that all the adults in my life think like children, darling.” She turned to go, stopping by her brother.
“If you don’t ask that overly muscled man out while I’m gone, I will funnel money from the cafe into a personal one, then run this business to the ground, therefore preventing you from ever sighing at him from behind the counter like a pathetic puppy.”
“He’s not overly muscled,” Qrow retorted. Clover’s arms were just right, looked just enough to haul Qrow over his shoulder and all other sorts of manhandling. “And you should really try to improve on your pep talks, sis.”
Raven blew him a kiss and left.
“She might push through with the threat, you know,” Yang said with amusement. “You never know. She’s done crazier things before.”
“Oh, I know, Yang,” he agreed, wiping down a table. “I know.”
Before Qrow could even formulate a strategy to woo Clover Ebi, the object of his thoughts came by first thing in the morning.
Sleeveless.
“What the hell, Clover?” Qrow yelled, taking his coat from the employee lockers. He went around the counter to immediately wrap it around the man.
“Wait there, I’ll make you tea or something-”
“Qrow, it’s fine.”
“Fine? It’s freezing outside, and I don’t know how to treat hypothermia, and how will you walk me through it if your lips fall off-”
Clover took his hand. “Qrow. Look, I’m not shivering at all anymore, see? I wasn’t out in the cold for long.”
“Oh.” Qrow dropped to a nearby chair, hand limp in Clover's warmth. “Good.”
The other man looked a little silly, a giant in Qrow’s smaller coat, but he didn't return it. Qrow tried not to read anything into that.
He retracted his arm. “So um, what’s up? You’re never here this early.”
“Oh, yeah, um. Look." Clover took a deep breath. "Do you have my number?”
Hah, I wish. “No?”
The other man groaned and pulled the coat’s hood over his head.
“Uh?”
There was a muffled response, and Qrow tried not to think about Clover’s mouth touching something of his.
“I didn’t catch that?”
Clover peeked up at him. “I gave you my number last month.”
“Uh- uh, no, you didn’t.” I would definitely remember.
“I scribbled it on a napkin? Remember, that day we almost kissed?”
Qrow examined his memories, and even though everything after that almost-kiss was a blur, this rang a very faint bell.
He started feeling a little frustrated. “Cleaning surfaces is part of my job! How am I supposed to notice anything like that?”
Clover’s neck was red now. “It just seemed sweet, perhaps a bit cliche but…”
“...You think I examine every piece of napkin I have to throw away?” Qrow voiced in disbelief.
“It was unused!” the other whined, then took out his phone. “I know someone must've kept it, since I just had to block an unknown number that kept sending me nudes.”
Qrow burst out laughing. “And how would you know it wasn’t me?”
“It… they… it wasn’t… Damn it, you’re a doctor, Ebi,” he whispered under his breath. Then he looked miserably up at his snorting companion. “They were breasts, Qrow!”
“Uh,” Yang said from the front entrance, making Clover jump in his seat. That sent Qrow off again so hard that he felt that he might hack out a lung.
Clover ignored him and stood up. “Yang, it’s not-”
Yang raised her arms to stop his approach. “I really don’t want to know, buddy. I just want to know if I’m going to deck the homeless man outside.”
Qrow stood up in concern. “Yang, don’t do that. Do you want to get arrested again?”
“Agai-?”
“Well, he was wearing Clover’s winter coat, so I have to make sure he didn’t mug Clover for it or something.” She turned her attention to a sheepish Clover. “Not that I don’t believe in your ability to pack a punch, doctor. I just thought I’d give you plausible deniability for when you inevitably have to patch him up.”
“It’s fine, Yang,” was the earnest reply. “I gave it to him willingly. Thanks.”
She shrugged. “Well, I’ll be in the back room while you two continue… whatever you were talking about.”
Clover sighed, and seemed surprised to see Qrow staring unashamedly up at him.
“You stood out in the snow because you gave that guy your winter coat?”
“I have others-”
“You’re a doctor that stutters over the word breasts?”
A blush. “Okay, that’s-”
“You watched me clean tables for months and decided to write your number on a cafe napkin in an extremely nondescript manner?”
“You’re making me sound really-”
“And you keep your body looking like that?”
“I don’t understand-”
Qrow grinned at him and opened his arms. “Come here and kiss me, you absolute dork.”
And so there were warmth, rock-hard abs, and of course, those strong and bare biceps.